In the previous struggle between the reformists and conservatives, although Hibbort, as the person in power, did not openly take sides, the subsequent legislative clauses he introduced were basically beneficial to the development of magical devices. Without much thought, one could know the attitude and thoughts of the Emperor towards magical devices.

However, support is support. Hibbort now hopes to see enough achievements in the military field of magical devices to better cope with the war that is bound to erupt in the future.

As for the civilian use of magical devices, not to mention the general opposition from domestic nobles, even if they change their attitude now, everything will only be put on the agenda after the empire has passed the most dangerous moment.

Based on this principle, Hibbort asked Charlotte to focus her research on the destructive power and safety of magical energy weapons, and other things could be considered later, this also caused Charlotte to abandon her previous research on cheaper driving energy and switch to continuously enhancing the power of magical energy weapons.

After all, Charlotte had no clue about cheap energy, while enhancing the intensity of magic release was the area where the professor of magic circle studies was most proficient.

After a long period of improvement, she had increased the intensity of the flamethrower to the point where it could break through the mental defense of peak knights. Even if the enemy wore sturdy armor that could withstand swords and sabers, they would absolutely be unable to resist the physical damage caused by the high-temperature scorching.

"War is unavoidable; we can only look for a turning point later."

With that, Charlotte stood up and strode on her slender white legs, sitting down gently beside Astrid.

Because she had just bathed, the woman carried a sweet and rich fragrance. Her jade legs were slightly crossed, and a seductive fragrant breeze blew towards her.

"It's just that, at this point... my mood is quite complicated..."

Hearing Charlotte say this, Astrid turned her head and asked gently.

"What's wrong, Lady Charlotte?"

Charlotte sighed softly and looked at the evergreen climbing on the windowsill. The bright moonlight bathed the emerald green vines, like a handful of flowing bright silver.

"Little Astr, you should know the original intention of my research on magical devices."

"..."

After a brief silence, Astrid looked at Charlotte's profile and said softly.

"To improve people's lives with magic."

Undeniably, under the pressure of reality, Charlotte's current actions had actually deviated somewhat from her ideals.

"When the first magical device was born, I asked your mother, Fanya, what she was researching magical devices for. She gave me the same answer as you do now."

"But now, I seem to have abandoned my original intention of benefiting the people and am only pursuing destruction..."

"I tried using a magical energy firearm. Even in the hands of an ordinary person who had never been exposed to any magic, it could exert extremely terrifying destructive power, even more powerful than swords and sabers."

The dense night poured through the window. Listening to Charlotte's soft and melodious female voice echoing in the room, Astrid put down her legs and quietly changed her sitting posture.

"Lady Charlotte..."

Perhaps it was the recent stress, coupled with the fact that it was night, that even the usually mature and steady Charlotte had become a little sentimental.

"Do you still remember why you helped Father Emperor research these magical energy weapons?"

Astrid's voice was clear and bright, falling into Charlotte's ears with extreme clarity.

"The reformists need the Emperor's banner to have the courage to confront the conservatives head-on. Lady Charlotte is only temporarily acting against her original intentions; the ultimate goal remains the same."

Charlotte would definitely understand this principle, otherwise, she wouldn't have reached this point. She was just stuck in a rut for a moment and needed a little guidance from others.

Charlotte's brows relaxed slightly upon hearing this, but the melancholy in her tea-colored eyes did not diminish.

"I just can't help but feel complex thinking that someone will die under the weapons I personally developed in the future."

"It's as if the birth of these weapons symbolizes the beginning of some kind of chaos."

Unlike civilian magical devices, these targeted magical energy weapons basically have only one use: to give humans more means of mutual destruction.

Realizing the true source of Charlotte's inner unease, Astrid pursed her lips and quietly reached around Charlotte's waist, embracing her.

Suddenly being hugged so intimately by her junior, Charlotte was slightly stunned, then relaxed her muscles, and her other hand naturally fell into Astrid's grasp.

"Lady Charlotte, you haven't done anything wrong."

"Without these magical energy weapons, the Valeria Empire would have suffered more casualties."

Because the Kingdom of Velys did not have as strict control over magic as the Valeria Empire, the average magical level of its citizens was much higher than the latter.

With the support of a large base of recruits with apprentice-level magic, the quality of soldiers that the army could recruit would be higher than the empire's, and the number would also be larger.

This was why the Valeria Empire, with its deeper foundation, was at a great disadvantage in the early stages of the war and reached its lowest point in the months of the emperor's death and the transfer of power, even once rumors of moving the capital appeared.

"Weapons are just a means; the key lies in the purpose of using them."

"In the short term, we choose it to protect ourselves and prevent the people most important to each other from being crushed by the ruthless war."

"As for what happens later, Lady Charlotte is thinking too far ahead."

Knee against knee, Charlotte, wearing only a nightgown and with bare legs, could feel the soft and smooth silk touch on the side of her niece's legs.

"Instead of dwelling on this, why not consider another question, Lady Charlotte..." Astrid held Charlotte's hand and opened her pink lips slightly.

"What do you think the Kingdom of Velys soldiers fighting on the front lines mean in this unjust war once it breaks out?"

Raising her face and looking at Astrid's ruby-like eyes that were close at hand, Charlotte was silent for a moment and responded softly.

"They are victims of political struggles and consumables for nobles to plunder their interests."

Having seized the land and consumed excess population, the Kingdom of Velys's war objectives have basically been achieved.

"The magical energy weapons developed by Lady Charlotte are aimed at these people."

"They will be buried in the sea of fire and become a number on the casualty report."

"It sounds like we've become the executioners."

At this point, Astrid paused briefly, then continued after a while.

"But that's not the truth, Lady Charlotte."

"What truly causes them to die in pain are not the weapons, but the Kingdom of Velys's high-ranking officials who attempt to shift conflicts and send them to war. They don't care about the lives of ordinary soldiers, only whether their goals are achieved."

"After all, it's not them who lose their lives."

Charlotte's concerns were nothing more than two things: one was anxiety about the future uncertainty of magical devices, believing she might be the one who opened Pandora's Box; the other was humanitarian concern.

The soldiers of the Kingdom of Velys were also human. Most of them might have been brainwashed by the nobles and the church before going to the battlefield, and they might not even understand why they were fighting.

After realizing the truth of the war, those with a conscience would make the right choices, and under the influence of the general environment, they would also die along with those who were unaware of the truth or conspirators who wanted to profit from the war.

"What I mean is..."

"Don't take all the blame and sins upon yourself, Lady Charlotte."

"The truly guilty are the Velys nobles who attempted to start the war, the fanatical warmongers, and the Holy Light Church that forcibly rationalizes the alteration of others' beliefs."

"You are not everyone's savior; you are just Charlotte, a genius mage who reached the Arcanist mage level at the age of thirty, and a noble count of the Valeria Empire."

"You've done your best."

Astrid also sympathized with those ignorant soldiers caught in the war; they simply didn't understand that they were consumables in the eyes of those in power.

However, when the empire's interests were violated and they committed unforgivable sins, she would still resolve them without mercy.

To put it bluntly, she was the third princess of the Valeria Empire, and in a sense, she was also a beneficiary of the empire's wealth. While she could empathize, there was not much room for it.

"..."

After listening to Astrid's words, Charlotte fell into deep thought and remained silent for a long time.

The clock hands ticked. After about five minutes, the woman curved her lips and finally smiled for the second time that night, besides when she met Astrid.

"I was being too stubborn."

Astrid was right; she was indeed overthinking, carrying responsibilities and faults that didn't belong to her.

Even if magical devices had potential risks, they were things that might happen in the future. At least for now, they would realistically help the empire gain a certain advantage in the war.

As for the low-level soldiers in the war, the conflict between the two sides on the battlefield was irreconcilable. The real culprit had always been those who advocated for war and directed conflicts outward.

"It's good that Lady Charlotte has figured it out."

Seeing the mature older sister smile again under the moonlight, Astrid breathed a sigh of relief and moved closer, playfully saying.

"Actually, Lady Charlotte has another identity that I didn't have time to mention earlier."

"What identity?"

Charlotte quickly ran through her mind and soon settled on being a professor of magic circle studies at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic.

Her identities were not many. Excluding the ones Astrid mentioned, it could only be that one.

Seeing that the depth in Charlotte's eyes had not completely faded, Astrid tilted her head, leaned close to her earlobe, and slowly said.

"You are also the Valeria Empire's third princess's dearest little aunt."

The unexpected words, coupled with the warm breath lingering around her ear, made even Charlotte, who thought she wouldn't have any more emotional fluctuations tonight, involuntarily tremble.

After a few seconds, Charlotte patted Astrid's back and said in a low voice.

"Alright, alright, I know."

"It's getting late, Little Astr, go take a bath."

Astrid smiled upon hearing this, stood up, and put her removed high heels aside. Her two small black-stockinged feet stepped into soft slippers.

"Then I'll take my leave. I'll have to trouble Lady Charlotte to help warm up the bed."

"..."

"Go ahead."

Watching the retreating figure, Charlotte glanced at the spot on the bed beside her. The warmth on her leg disappeared, leaving only the faint scent of the girl.

For no reason, she thought of the kiss Astrid had sleepily left on her forehead that day, which she said was a good morning kiss for Amalia, but it had made her a little restless.

Was it because no one had ever been so close to her, so she was a little unaccustomed to it?

Astrid's words echoed in Charlotte's mind. She couldn't deny that this once immature child had grown into an adult who could appropriately guide her emotions and help alleviate her anxiety.

The Valeria Empire's third princess's dearest little aunt... she really knew how to talk...

However, since she was the dearest little aunt, why did it feel like Astrid preferred Amalia more?

It was one thing to rest in the same bed every day, but there were also good morning and goodnight kisses.

Thinking of this, Charlotte propped her chin with one hand, her fair and slender legs resting on her knees, gently swaying.

"..."

A moment later, Charlotte seemed to realize something. She rubbed her earlobe with her fingers to clear her mind and turned to lie in bed.

She was really living backward. Why was she always dwelling on such things?

They were all family; there was no distinction between closeness and distance.

Besides, only children would want adults to express their affection through kisses.

.............

The next day, at Elizabeth Academy of Magic, at exactly 2 PM, Lyra's first battle was about to begin.

As the former owner, Astrid had no reason not to attend the first battle of the little maid's magic exchange competition. Currently, she was sitting in the audience, holding a bottle of warm milk tea.

Her gaze crossed the platform and looked towards the opposite audience seats. As Astrid had expected, the Saintess Monica was also present to watch, and beside her sat a purple-haired girl in casual clothes with a noble aura.

Iris came today... She rarely attends matches, and this battle is insignificant...

It seems she is also very interested in Lyra... Was it information provided by Monica?

Her slender legs were unconsciously crossed, and the black skirt and matching over-the-knee socks made the skin exposed outside her clothes appear even fairer. Astrid took a sip of her red tea, her gaze steady, her fingers tapping lightly on the seat.

If today's match was Lyra against a middle tier Magnus, perhaps the former would be forced to reveal some of her trump cards.

However, if it were just a peak Sorcerer, Lyra should be able to win easily, and neither Iris nor Monica would be able to discern anything.

She just didn't know if Monica had realized the purpose she needed her to achieve during their private conversations and had hinted at it to Iris accordingly.

Regardless, the Kingdom of Velys needed a rational and kind monarch; that would be the basis for their future negotiations.